West Coast Residents: Your Trees Are at Risk for Bronze Birch Borer and Scale

Do you live on the west coast? If so, your trees may be at risk for Bronze Birch Borer (BBB) and scale. If you’re an arborist, landscape professional, or home owner, you should be aware of the solutions available to combat these nuisances.

It’s not too late to treat this summer and fall! By protecting your trees now, the treatment will be in place when the pests are most active in the spring, providing effective control and peace of mind. Let’s go over what BBB and scale are and how you can protect your trees against them.

Bronze Birch Borer

A wood-boring beetle, BBB attacks all birch species. Unseen larvae feed on the vascular tissue under the bark. BBB typically attacks trees already stressed or in decline. Symptoms include dieback in the crown, D-shaped, rust-stained exit holes in the trunk, and possible swollen extrusions where the tree tried to grow over larval galleries.

There are a few solutions you can explore now to keep BBB at bay. IMA-jet® is ideal for one-year control, and for a longer-lasting fix, TREE-äge®.

Scale

Scale is a pest common on ornamental trees and shrubs and feeds within the plant’s vascular system. Characteristics of soft scales and hard scales differ, but if honeydew is present, check leaves and branches for scales. Do not assume that aphids are present, as the symptoms can be similar.

Soft scale can be treated with IMA-jet and hard scale with ACE-jet, but we recommend a combination treatment for best results.

If you are located in the northwest, your Regional Technical Manager is Dawn Fluharty. For any additional questions you have about BBB, scale, or our recommended treatments, reach out to Dawn at (650) 996-8291. For all other questions, please reach out to us via phone, email, or social media.

Don’t let these pests get the best of you this summer! Start protecting your trees today for a better tomorrow.